


Already Yours

by MsUwU



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Awkward Romance, Best Friends, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Iwaizumi Hajime Swears, Jealous Oikawa Tooru, Mentioned Ushijima Wakatoshi, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Pining Oikawa Tooru, Protective Iwaizumi Hajime, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sad Oikawa Tooru, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, University, ushijima - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:47:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29388654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsUwU/pseuds/MsUwU
Summary: ᴏɪᴋᴀᴡᴀ x ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ"Is it that hard to believe that not every female in existence wants your undivided attention?""Considering the fact that every woman I passed on my way to you gave me the look, I'd say it's not an absurd conclusion to come to," Oikawa mused, padding his ego even further the more he thought about it."Then go bug one of them," Suko shrugged. "I've got shit to do."
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter One

Twirling the colourful ball of synthetic leather between his palms, Oikawa Tooru focused his mind on his target across the net before tossing it up and taking a running jump. Leaping as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Oikawa's arm pulled back, ready to deal a hurtful blow to any opponent willing or able to get in the way of his service ace. Unfortunately for him, mere milliseconds before his hand reached the volleyball, one of his many fangirls decided this was the most opportune moment to cheer him on.

"You can do it, Oikawa-kun!"

Losing his focus for a tenth of a second was enough to alter how Oikawa had hit the ball, the velocity not nearly as menacing as he had intended. If he hadn't immediately heard a familiar voice begin to call out the girl with an incredibly irritated tone, he probably would've been annoyed but instead he only found himself amused. While his team had still lost a point in the long run, hearing his crush, Sayuri Suko, come to his defence with what sounded like a teensy bout of jealousy certainly made the loss worthwhile.

Glancing over to the stands with a smirk, Oikawa's eyes met with Suko's and she simply raised a curious brow. Normally after losing a point he'd never look over at the audience, he'd merely focus even harder, so why his attention was anywhere other than the court was a mystery to the woman. The brunette puckered his lips and sent her a flirty kiss before winking; she said she wasn't going to come to his game yet here she was, that had to be a good sign. He watched as Suko raised her hand to catch the kiss, only to teasingly toss it at her feet with an eye roll; it wasn't like he meant anything by it – it was Oikawa, after all.

The team captain wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before winking at her, merely trying to fluster her since he knew she wasn't fond of his attention when his fan club was around; those girls were insane. Suko rolled her captivating doe-like eyes at him before quickly presenting him with her middle finger and mouthing the words 'piss off'. Satisfied with her response, Oikawa's head tilted back slightly as he chuckled and brought his attention back to where it needed to be: on the game.

Though they'd been friends since she was paired with he and Iwaizumi on a project in their first year of high school, years later Oikawa still had a weak spot for her. Any train of thought Oikawa had that wasn't related to volleyball somehow came to revolve around her. With eyes you couldn't help but get lost in, pouty lips that begged to be bitten, and an attitude that would push you to your limits, Sayuri Suko was captivatingly charming in many ways - if you could handle her.

When the game finished, Oikawa looked out into the stands to search for Suko only to see her curtain of dark hair swaying with each step she took further away from him. A small smile curved up his lips despite her fleeting figure and it wasn't until Iwaizumi shoved his shoulder that he was pulled out of his stupor.

"Owwwww Iwa-chan," he whined, rubbing the stinging spot on his arm. "What'd you do that for?"

"You looked like an idiot standing there like that," Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "She wasn't even looking at you."

"But she came," Oikawa hummed, pointing his finger upward to emphasize his point. "She said she wasn't going to."

"Suko always says she's not going to, but usually does," his friend shrugged. "Why are you so surprised."

"Because she doesn't always actually come, Iwa-chan. I play better when I know she's watching," his lips curled up. "And it means I get to see her afterwards, so it's a win-win."

"Well, now she's leaving, so good luck with that."

"I'll just have to catch up with her then," Oikawa hummed. "She won't have gotten far."

"I think you're forgetting a vital piece of information," Iwaizumi pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. "She was the number one sprinter in the prefecture. Suko's default walking speed is still pretty fast, she's probably already out of the building by now."

A smile tugged up Oikawa's lips at the reminder. He missed the early morning runs they would take most days before their respective team practices, she was one of the only people who he truly felt challenged by – in more ways than one. "I can still catch her, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi blinked at his friend, wondering how in the world this idiot became so full of himself. Feeling like he needed to knock him down a peg, he rebutted. "Her time in the hundred meter dash beat Ushiwaka's time that was listed in Volleyball Monthly. You haven't beat that brick head in anything, Trashy-kawa. You shouldn't be so cocky."

"Why must you be so cruel, Iwa-chan!" He cried as an imaginary arrow struck his ego. "You didn't have to bring that up!"

"I'm just stating a fact," Iwaizumi smirked. "But you're just wasting time."

A quiet whine left his lips before he turned tail, his sneakers squeaking periodically as he jogged out of the gymnasium in the direction of the main entrance. Receiving smiles and hearing giggles and praise from women as he made his way through the building, Oikawa's self-esteem was quickly rebuilt, giving him an extra bounce in his step as he attempted to locate the one who, unknowingly to her, held his affections.

One foot fell in front of the other until his gaze finally caught hold of the woman's black baseball cap and the impossibly long and decadent strands of espresso hair that swayed underneath, grazing the exposed skin of her lower back that went uncovered by her cropped t-shirt. "Yuri-chan!"

The woman glanced over her shoulder at the approaching player, her attention flickering down his athletic body on its own volition, noticing he was still in his uniform. "What?"

"Were you just going to run away without saying goodbye? That's pretty rude."

"Considering that I didn't say hello, goodbye seemed unnecessary," she stated simply. "Besides, don't you normally warp your ego with all your little groupies after a game?"

"You know," Oikawa hummed, a small smirk tugging up his lips as he tapped his finger against his chin. "Jealousy is a good look for you, Yuri-chan. Don't think I didn't catch your little outburst during the game."

"Don't mistake annoyance for jealousy, Shitty-kawa," she scoffed, tearing her attention away from him and back to the sidewalk ahead of her. "I don't have time for your shenanigans anyway."

With her first few steps forward, Oikawa instinctively reached out for her wrist and stopped her. "Ah-ah, not so fast."

Suko sighed, trying to ignore the tingling sensation she felt where his skin met with hers. "Spit it out then, I've got places to be."

"You're working today?" He tilted his head to the side curiously from her comment. "I thought you had Sunday's off?"

"What are you, my receptionist?" The woman's lips curved into a smirk as she let her eyes rake over his frame once again, only this time more purposefully. "You'd look pretty cute in a pencil skirt, Tooru. I can recommend a few shops if you're interested."

"There isn't much I wouldn't look cute in," his lips matched hers in a similarly coy smile as he let himself shamelessly check her out. Dressed in a black crop top and a pair of jean shorts with sneakers, his eyes lingered on her long legs as he replied. "But I think you'd wear it better."

Her hand popped onto her hip and she rolled her eyes. "Obviously. I'd wear anything better than your lanky ass."

"I grew out of that phase," he defended with a pout. "If anyone's lanky it's you and those spidery legs of yours."

Sayuri looked down at her legs before lifting up a foot and playfully kicking Oikawa's shoe. "These lanky legs could still kick your ass though."

"Owwww," he whined. "Yuri-chan, don't be so mean."

"How else will your ridiculous ego get brought back down to normal?" The woman laughed and gave him a small wave. "See you around, Tooru."

"But you didn't tell me if you were working or not! I'll stop by and keep you company."

"I'm not, and I'd rather you didn't anyway." It was true. Ever since she started working at Happy Paws Pet Shop, he'd stopped by more times than not. It probably wouldn't have annoyed her as much if he didn't attract the attention of her co-workers, many of whom would openly gape at him or shamelessly flirt.

"You don't always have to play so hard to get, you know," he teased.

"Is it that hard to believe that not every female in existence wants your undivided attention?"

"Considering the fact that every woman I passed on my way to you gave me the look, I'd say it's not an absurd conclusion to come to," Oikawa mused, padding his ego even further the more he thought about it.

"Then go bug one of them," Suko shrugged. "I've got shit to do."

"So what are you doing later?" He questioned, hoping for an opening to invite himself along.

"Nothing that involves you and that big head of yours," she stated knowingly before she strode away, aware that every minute she spent with him right now was one taken away from her time to prepare for her date in a few hours.

The setter ran a hand through his fluffy auburn hair and chuckled as he watched her leave, the fluttering of his heart that her presence always influenced beginning to settle.

Feeling his gaze still burning into the back of her head, Suko smiled softly to herself before pulling up her hand and once again offering him the middle finger, not bothering to turn around to do so.

"That's not very ladylike, Yuri-chan!" Oikawa's sing-song voice called out to her.

Though she tried to stifle her laughter at his comment it was unsuccessful and she was still close enough that Oikawa could hear the quiet yet melodious tune leave her lips. With a content sigh, Oikawa spun on his heels and jogged back to the building and entered the locker room.

The clanging of metal locker doors and the sickly scent of sweat and body spray assaulted Oikawa's senses and he grimaced for a moment before adjusting to his surroundings – he hated the locker room. The only thing it was good for was catching the occasional earful of gossip and even then it usually wasn't that juicy.

Shutting his locker shut, Iwaizumi glanced over at Oikawa. The small upwards curve of his lips was an indication that he did actually catch up with her. "So, how'd it go?"

"She's such a spitfire," Oikawa's small smile spread into a grin.

"So she didn't fall at your feet like you expected," Iwaizumi deadpanned. "How shocking."

"I never expect her to fall at my feet, Iwa-chan," he hummed. "That's not her style... but she did compliment me so I can't really complain, now can I?"

"Compliment you?" Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow.

"Mhmm." Oikawa nodded, quickly slipping out of his uniform shirt.

"Suko did?" He pressed further – that didn't seem right.

The brunette pulled his fitted white t-shirt over his head and smoothed it out while he hummed happily. "Yep!"

Iwaizumi's eyes narrowed at his friend. He'd known Suko just as long as Oikawa had and if there was one thing she rarely did, it was compliment Oikawa. In fact, she was arguably one of the only people outside of the Aoba Johsai Boys' Volleyball team who didn't constantly kiss his ass and had no problem putting him in his place when he was out of line. "I don't believe you."

"I wouldn't lie about something like that," He stuck a hand on his hip as he brought his full attention to his friend. "Iwa-chan, do you really think that little of me?"

Iwaizumi blinked, not missing a beat before replying, "Yes."

"Iwaaaaaaa," Oikawa whined, tilted his head back dramatically before pouting. "I'm not making it up! She really did!"

"What did she say, then?"

Feeling no shame in the compliment he received, Oikawa smiled and repeated it, popping his hip out while raising his hand as if he were holding an invisible platter. "She said I'd look cute in a skirt."

Sputtering into a fit of laughter, Iwaizumi's arms wrapped around his stomach as if to hold his guts in. "And y-you thought," he paused to catch his breath. "You thought that was a compliment?"

Oikawa shrugged. "I'd look good in anything, so she's probably not wrong."

Iwaizumi shoved his friend's shoulder teasingly. "That definitely wasn't meant as a positive thing."

"Who knows, Iwa-chan," Oikawa tapped a slender finger on his chin with a coy smile. "Maybe she's into that kinda thing. You shouldn't be so quick to judge."

"You really are a piece of shit, you know that?"


	2. Chapter 2

On the tail end of an eight-hour shift, Suko's patience for both her co-workers and customers was wearing thin. In an effort to not bite anyone's head off before her scheduled day ended, she focused her attention on her favourite set of enclosures – the reptile terrariums.

A small smile pulled up Suko's lips as she noticed the active baby ball python following her movements as she took slow steps past its tank, pausing to give it the attention she now knew it needed. After unlatching the lock of the sliding door, the woman casually reached into the enclosure, careful not to move too abruptly and slipped her hand underneath the middle of the foot-long snake to lift it up.

The python's chilled, smooth skin wrapped loosely around Suko's forearm as it adjusted to being held, its head curiously peeking around the outside world. A quiet hum left her lips as she studied the reptile, lifting her arm up to get a better view of the body to ensure there were no new issues since she'd checked in on it earlier that morning.

Hearing the door's soft chime, Suko made her way towards the front of the shop only to see her co-worker Watanabe already on the opposite side of the cash counter and giggling as she greeted Oikawa. With a roll of her eyes, Suko turned back around – did he always have to show up here?

"Oikawa-kun, I saw your game on the weekend," Watanabe gushed the moment she laid eyes on him, hopping around the counter in an instant. "Your serve just keeps getting stronger and stronger. You must work out a lot, huh?"

Oikawa smiled down at the woman, noting how she childishly twirled a strand of golden hair around her finger as she waited for him to reply. There was a time when he once would've considered women like Watanabe charming, but the more he dated girls like her, the more bored he grew of them. Sure, looks were important to Oikawa, but he wasn't by any means a stupid man and as it turned out, he needed more than just a pretty face to hold his interest. "I do have quite an extensive training regime," he hummed, feeding into her praise.

"I can tell you're pretty dedicated," she giggled, her fingers daintily reaching out and laying on his arm.

"Thank you for noticing," he flashed her a quick wink before tilting his head to the side to see past her. Catching a glimpse of a perky ponytail bouncing away, he slipped his arm away from the blonde. "Ah, there she is. Nice talking to you, Watanabe-chan."

Slipping effortlessly past Watanabe, Oikawa jogged a few feet before he approached Suko's side. "Hey, Yuri-chAA- why are you holding that thing?!"

Oikawa's reaction wiped away the scowl she was sporting and her gaze flickered over to him, noting his wide, panicked eyes focused on the snake as if it were about to eat him alive. A smirk tugged up her lips as she looked back down at the python, offering the reptile her other hand to climb onto, which it was more than happy to do. "What? This little guy?"

"Yes!" He cried. "That giant snake attached to you!"

"This one's just a baby, Tooru," Suko chuckled, elbowing his side. "Though it's not as big of a baby as you are."

Oikawa huffed indignantly. "I am no-" He interrupted himself with a gasp and jumped back a foot when Suko lifted the arm the snake was attached to closer to him.

The woman cocked a knowing eyebrow at him. "You were saying?"

"It's perfectly acceptable to be cautious of huge snakes like that, Yuri-chan," Oikawa pouted. "That thing could cut off your circulation and you could lose an arm."

"That'd be neat."

"NEAT?!" He bellowed. "What is wrong with you!"

"SHH!" The brunette shushed him loudly, her eyebrows pulling together as she glared at him. "This is my place of work, Tooru. You can't just shout all you want and make a scene."

Oikawa closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Of course, Suko naturally took this opportunity to take a few silent steps closer to him, both wanting to fuck with him a little and to show him he was freaking out over nothing in this particular instance. "Hey," she called quietly. "You're okay. Look."

Feeling something smooth graze against his hand and assuming it was hers, Oikawa's lips pulled up at the corners. His heart sped up and he slowly opened his eyes – was she starting to show an interest in him as more than a friend?

He hadn't even looked down before he spoke, his brown eyes focusing intensely on the woman he held in high regard. "Finally, you've succumbed to my charms, Yuri-chan."

"I – what?" She tilted her head to the side for half a second before her eyes lit up, realizing what her friend was thinking. "Do you really think my hand feels like a snake, Tooru?"

Suko watched with amusement as Oikawa's entire demeanour shifted from arrogant to frightened when he looked down at the python's top half starting to coil delicately around his hand while the rest of its body stayed firm in her hold. His back stiffened up and he was afraid to move. "T-this isn't funny, Sayuri," he stuttered, his eyes not daring to leave the snake for fear of it constricting his limb.

"Oh, you're fine," she laughed, using her other hand to guide the snake back into solely her care. "This one's really gentle, he loves being held."

Crossing his arms over his chest with a frustrated huff, Oikawa frowned. "You're insane, that thing is so gross."

Suko rolled her eyes before using her index finger to gently stroke the top of the snake's head. "Don't listen to him, he's just jealous."

"Jealous of that slimy future belt?" Oikawa scoffed. "Never."

"Oh come on, admit it," she walked back to the enclosure and lowered the snake towards the opening, letting it slither back in on its own terms. "It wasn't as bad as you thought, was it?"

"You can't just spring people's fears on them like that, Yuri-chan," Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her secure the latch that held the door shut. "That's just cruel."

"Maybe," Suko shrugged, walking over to the small hand sanitizing station off to the side and holding out the bottle towards her friend. "But now you'll likely be less of a scaredy-cat since it didn't hurt you."

Oikawa grumbled as he thoroughly sanitized his hands, shuddering at the thought of touching a snake again. "I hate you."

"No," the woman hummed. "You don't."

"I do," he pouted.

"Okay, fine then." Suko shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've got work to do, fuck off."

"Yuri-chaaaaan," Oikawa whined. "Don't be like that."

Fighting off the smile that threatened to make itself known from his childish antics, Suko turned to face the wall of animal enclosures. "I'm not being like anything. You said you hated me, so why are you still here?"

Switching gears in an instant, Oikawa reverted back to a normal tone as he moved to stand beside her, bumping her shoulder lightly with his. "Are we still having movie night tonight?"

"Depends," she replied, her eyes flickering from cage to cage as she checked the food and water dishes. "Whose turn is it to pick the movie?"

Tapping his finger against his chin as he thought back to their last movie night and the romantic comedy movie he'd chosen in an effort to try and _set the mood_ with her despite the presence of their mutual friend. "Iwa-chan's."

"Right," Suko hummed, peering over at her friend. "You chose that horrible rom-com last time."

"It wasn't horrible."

"Well it definitely wasn't good," she retorted, waving her hand dismissively. "But sure. If _you're_ not the one choosing this time, I'm still up for movie night."

"Why must you wound me so, Yuri-chan," Oikawa placed a hand over his heart.

"I do nothing of the sort," Suko tightened her ponytail as she walked down the nearest aisle, beginning to straighten things on the shelf.

Oikawa followed after her, admiring how adorable he thought she looked in her bright blue polo work shirt. "Your shift is over in a few minutes, right?"

Slipping her phone out of her pocket to look at the time, she nodded. "Yeah. Seven-thirty."

"Perfect, then we can tell Iwa-chan to meet us at your place with pizza."

"You probably shouldn't eat so much trash after training," Suko pulled a few fish tank filters towards the front of the peg they were hanging from. "Defeats the purpose."

"Is that _worry_ I hear, little Yuri-chan?" Oikawa lifted a hand to pinch her cheek only to have it slapped away immediately.

"No, I'm just judging you for being an idiot. What kind of athlete spends four hours training just to go home and eat pizza?"

"I'm not going _home_ to eat pizza," he smirked. "Well, unless you'd like your home to be _my_ home."

"Ugh," she groaned. "Of course that's what you take away from what I said, Shittykawa."

"Well, I'm not about to insist you cook for us, Yuri-chan," Oikawa pointed out, propping a hand on his hip. "I'm not that shitty."

A sigh slipped from Suko's lips as she considered her options. Sure – pizza was the easy choice, but she also knew her dad had to eat as well and pizza wasn't exactly good for his cholesterol. "I'll just make something, it's fine."

Oikawa's eyes lit up. "I knew you cared!"

"About you? No," Suko deadpanned. "Dad and I have to eat too. You know he has high cholesterol, pizza isn't very heart-healthy."

"Awww," Oikawa smiled sweetly, poking her ribs. "You're such a good daughter, Yuri-chan."

"Shut it."

\---

"Hey, Pops," Sayuri called out as she and Oikawa entered her modest home.

"Hey, Champ," his reply carried out from the living room along with the referee's whistle from the game he was watching on TV.

"You two are always so chummy," Oikawa chuckled teasingly as he slipped off his shoes.

Choosing to ignore the comment, Suko treaded down the hall to where her dad was seated, the colourful lights from the screen dancing across the lenses of his glasses. "You haven't eaten, have you?"

"I specifically remember you telling me to wait for you because you didn't, and I quote," he glanced over at her, noticing Oikawa approaching as well, but continuing to raise his fingers into air quotations. "Trust me to make something healthy."

Sayuri popped out her hip and rested a hand on it. "Well, would you have?"

"Probably not."

"Mhmm," The woman hummed knowingly. "That's what I thought."

Tilting his head to see past the snickering Oikawa, the man frowned. "Where's Hajime?"

"He'll be here soon, Jin-san," Oikawa straightened up and smiled politely. "You'll have some quality time with just the three of us for a little while."

"Ugh," he groaned, tossing his feet up onto the coffee table in front of him. "No, thanks."

"Get your feet off the table you slob," Sayuri chided. "I thought _you_ were the parent here?"

"I am, so I'll do what I want," he shrugged and turned his attention back to the screen.

The woman's eyes narrowed and she moved to stand directly in front of her father, who sighed at the sight of her glare. "Don't think that just because mom isn't around that you're allowed to act like a total bachelor."

Knowing that this was a sensitive topic to both involved, Oikawa tried to help Sayuri navigate out of it just as quickly as she put herself in. "Um, Yuri-chan, why don't w-"

Her eyes flickered over to his, her glare still firmly in place and making him stop speaking the second it landed on him.

Swallowing back his pride at the mention of his ex-wife, Jin tried to sidestep a real response by focusing on Oikawa. "Oh be nice to the dork, kiddo. He's just trying to help."

Crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at her father, Sayuri replied. "Since when do you stick up for Tooru?"

"Since we need to stick together to possibly stage a mutiny," her father laughed, slipping his feet back onto the floor. "There. Now send Hajime in when he gets here, I want to watch this game with him."

"I'll watch the game with you, Jin-san," Oikawa offered, hoping that his earlier comment was a sign that maybe the man was finally warming up to him.

"Eh," he shrugged, not bothering to look at Oikawa as he replied. "I'm sure the squirt could use your help with dinner."

Oikawa rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced away dejectedly, he had no idea what he had to do to win Jin over. Hell, he had no idea what he had to do to win the man's daughter over either, but the interaction between the two of them was at least enough to break Sayuri's glare and he tried to find solace in that.

With a smirk playing upon her lips, Sayuri looked to Oikawa before nodding over to the kitchen. "Let's go, reject."

The man sighed but followed anyway. Once in the kitchen, Suko opened up the refrigerator and hummed as she thought of their options. Oikawa propped his elbow on top of her shoulder and joined her, staring into the appliance for inspiration as well. Tilting her head to the side to peer at an item behind a carton of milk, Suko hummed her suggestion. "Curry?"

"Curry sounds good," Oikawa confirmed, lifting his arm off her to grab a pair of carrots and bring them to the counter.

Suko gathered the rest of the ingredients and two cutting boards before placing a knife down beside Oikawa. The two talked about their days as they prepared the vegetables and once the pot of curry was beginning to simmer, Suko left Oikawa to change out of her work clothes.

By the time she had slipped into a pair of loose grey sweatpants with a black tank top and trekked back downstairs, she heard a knock at the door. "Is that Hajime?" Jin questioned loudly.

"Probably," Sayuri deduced as she pulled open the door to reveal the man in question.

"Hey, Iwa," she smiled and jutted her thumb out behind her. "You've been summoned to the living room. Curry should be ready soon."

"Cool, sounds good," he quickly slipped out of his shoes and called out to her dad. "Who's playing this time, Jin-san?"

"Those idiots versus the nitwits," Jin replied vaguely, but to Sayuri's surprise, Iwaizumi apparently knew exactly who he was talking about.

"Oh, man! That's a good match up. What's the score?"

Shaking her head with a silent laugh, she made her way back to the kitchen where Oikawa pushed at the bubbling curry with a wooden spoon, seemingly lost in thought.

It had only been for a moment, but hearing Iwaizumi so effortlessly interact with Jin made Oikawa feel a pang of jealousy along with a side of inferiority. Why could Iwaizumi win him over so easily when Oikawa could hardly get the man to look at him when they spoke? They were both interested in sports, both athletic, and both intelligent. But where Oikawa possessed the innate ability to charm most women, Iwaizumi had the attitude of a man's man.

He was bold and honest, yet reserved and at times stoic. Compared to Oikawa's playful personality dripping with charisma and a hidden side of mischief, it wasn't difficult to _understand_ why Jin preferred his company. Oikawa knew Iwaizumi meshed well with types like Jin, but he couldn't help wanting what his friend had. He couldn't help wanting the approval of Sayuri's father, it would be one less barrier between them and one step closer to having her within arm's reach.

"Smells good," Sayuri noted, pulling his attention from the simmering curry over to her.

His lips curled upward at the sight before him. Her loose sweatpants only accentuated how form fitting her tank top was and the thin strip of skin left exposed between the two garments teased him mercilessly. "You look cute, Yuri-chan."

She glanced down at the clothes she put no thought into and shrugged. "It's probably the laziest thing I could've chosen."

"Doesn't make it less cute," he winked.

Brushing off his compliment, Sayuri hopped up onto the counter beside the stove, letting her legs swing gently as she kept an eye on the stove.

Silence fell between them and after a few moments of deciding whether or not he should bring it up, Oikawa apologized. "Sorry for jumping in earlier with your dad. I didn't think you fully thought that through before speaking so I figured I'd try to help..."

Knowing that was indeed a bad habit of hers, Sayuri mulled over what had been said. Staring at her dangling legs, her unwavering voice still showed a vulnerable honesty that not many could pick up on - but Oikawa could.

Being a naturally observant person, it was to be expected that the person he spent the most time studying would be the one he knew the most intimately. The way specific way she fidgeted with her fingers when she was uncomfortable with something, the way her nose crinkled as she laughed, and even the softest inflections of her voice were all things he'd noticed and filed into the special section of his mind that belonged to her.

"I didn't," she admitted. "But I think he needed to hear it. Just because she left us, doesn't mean that we can stop being responsible."

"Don't you think you're being kinda hard on him, Yuri-chan? It's only been a few months since everything happened."

Suko's eyebrows furrowed softly as she considered what he was saying. It's only been a few months since her mother left to pursue a relationship with the man she'd been having an affair with, and although the divorce proceedings were handled relatively fairly and quite quick, the emotional damage it had dealt to her father was significant.

"Maybe I shouldn't have brought her up, but that doesn't invalidate the point. If he starts letting himself go, he'll feel even worse later on," the woman studied the pink polka dot pattern on her ankle socks as she continued. "It's not like the bitch didn't leave me too."

Oikawa only hummed in response, aware that almost anything he could reply with might push her buttons in a way he never found joy in. It was one thing to rile someone up about something insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it was another to stick a knife into an already bleeding wound and twist it before pulling it out.

When Suko's mother left, it was almost an entire month before Iwaizumi and Oikawa found out. Both had noticed her words became sharper, but that they had also become fewer and far between. She was hiding something from them, that much had been obvious, but it wasn't until graduation that they figured out just what that was – and even then they didn't get many details.

Feeling like she should be able to handle everything on her own, a lot of Suko's significant problems went unaired. Of course, petty grievances and small things she couldn't help but complain about, but when it came to anything truly trying, Suko never asked for help. She was so afraid of being perceived as weak that it became a weakness of its own, but still she endured thinking that if she could get past it on her own, it would only make her stronger.

The rich aroma of simmering spices became overwhelming to her senses, pulling her out of her reverie and encouraging her to glance over at the concoction in the pot that Oikawa was neglecting. "If you burn our dinner I'll kick your ass, Trashykawa."

The curve of Oikawa's lips was unmistakable as she cut through the unexpected tension, easing him back into casual conversation. "I think you're forgetting that I'm taller _and_ stronger than you, Yuri-chan."

"I'm faster and trickier," she rebutted. "Don't get too cocky."

His smile fell into a teasing smirk as his eyes connected with hers, taking on a new intensity. "Does that mean you're thinking about m-"

"How much longer till dinner?" Jin shouted from the living room. "We're practically dying over here!"

Hopping off the counter, Suko stepped to Oikawa's side and leaned forward to turn off the stove, giving him a little shove in the process. "Don't flatter yourself."

Oikawa chuckled lowly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, tugging her even closer to him. "Oh come on, you can't tell me you've never thought about _us,_ Yuri-chan."

"I'm not _that_ desperate," The woman scoffed, squirming out of his hold and making her way to the cupboard beside the sink to pull out a few bowls. "And even if I was, I'd sooner date Iwa than you."

"There you have it, Hajime," Jin laughed as he walked into the kitchen with Iwaizumi beside him. "Welcome to the family, kid."

"Somehow I don't think that was meant as a compliment," Iwaizumi chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned his attention to Oikawa. "What'd you do this time?"

"Iwa-chan," he sighed, trying to ignore yet another obvious rejection from his crush. "Why do you always assume it's _me_ starting something?"

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow at his best friend. "Was it you?"

Oikawa scratched his cheek. "Well, yes, bu-"

"That's why."


	3. Chapter 3

As his date yammered on about some celebrity couple he couldn't care less about, Oikawa propped his elbow up on the café table and rested his chin in his palm. He'd tried to change the topic of conversation twice already and somehow this woman managed to tie it back into whatever was happening in the latest gossip rag.

 _Yuri-chan would've told her to shut up by now_ , he thought to himself as he stared at the brunette across from him. _Or maybe she would've just walked out....no,_ a smile curved his lips. _She'd definitely say something._

A wistful sigh escaped him as he continued to think of the one person he intended to avoid thinking of by agreeing to this date. Oikawa knew he had to start trying to get over his unrequited crush, but the more he tried to move on by seeing other people, the more he realized and appreciated other things about the woman in question, leading him even further down the rabbit hole and only strengthening his attachment to her. It'd been three years almost to the day that Oikawa began to grow feelings stronger than friendship for Suko and he remembered what sparked it as if it just happened yesterday.

After being grouped together for a history project their first week of high school, Suko quickly clicked with the pair of best friends and seeing as they had almost every course together, the duo quickly became a trio when it came to anything other than volleyball. It only took a month before Iwaizumi and Oikawa truly accepted Suko's presence, including her in their hangouts and study sessions outside of school on top of already eating lunch together every day and grouping up for class assignments.

It was only a few weeks after that when Oikawa's first high school girlfriend broke up with him. They'd only been dating a fortnight, but he genuinely liked her. She was pretty, popular, and she was smart too. She had a smile that made Oikawa's heart flutter and he was a complete sap for her...which ended up being part of the reason he was dumped after only two weeks.

"I heard he was super clingy," a girl's shrill laugh carried through to the trio's table from the popular girls next to them.

"As if he'd just be a total pushover and let her walk all over him. He's so arrogant, Takahashi," another rebutted.

Suko's eyes narrowed as she looked down at her lunch. She didn't want to draw attention to it for Oikawa's sake, but the second her eyes lifted and she saw how downcast her usually peppy friend was, she knew she couldn't stay silent.

"Arrogant? That's all an act. He was following her around like a pathetic little puppy all the time," the first girl, Takahashi, informed, tossing her long blonde french braid over her shoulder. "No wonder she dumped him."

The scraping of Suko's metal chair against the floor as she pushed it back was loud enough to gain the attention of the tables around them. Oikawa gripped the wrist of her hand that was clenched into a fist on top of the table. "Don't, Suko-chan," he forced a smile. "It's not worth it."

"That's not true," Suko grumbled. Being a girl who was picked on all throughout elementary and middle school, she promised herself she would be different after she begged her parents to let her attend a high school further away from their home as a fresh start.

Suko spent the entire summer working on increasing her endurance so she could join the track team at her new school and with all of that solitary time, she played scenarios like this in her head over and over again. She couldn't stay quiet; she needed to say something. She had to stick up for her friend because she knew what it felt like when no one did.

Walking over to the table next to them with a fire burning within her, Suko crossed her arms over her chest and stood in front of them. "You've got something to say about my friend?"

Raising an eyebrow at the girls next to her, the blonde returned her attention to Suko. "Nothing that I haven't said already," she challenged.

"Girls like you really piss me off, you know that?" Suko took a deep breath as she tried to keep herself calm enough to not attract the kind of attention for a faculty member to take interest, but it also gave Takahashi an opening to reply to a rhetorical question.

"Girls like me? You mean, girls who actually matter? Unlike you."

"When I say _girls like you_ , I mean prissy bitches who don't know when to keep their big traps shut," Suko's lips curled into a smirk as she saw the blonde's confident expression falter. "You don't matter more than anyone else here and if you think otherwise you're in for a rude awakening."

Oikawa watched with widened eyes as Suko began to pick a fight with the popular girls in their class and he looked over at Iwaizumi for advice. "S-should we do something?"

"No," Iwaizumi smirked confidently at his friend, completely amused with the turn this lunch hour had taken, but more than anything, he felt proud that they were friends with someone who had enough balls to do this. "Let her finish."

Takahashi blinked at her. "You realize who you're talking to, right? I am the last person to pick a fight with, _stretch,_ " she insulted. "I will make your life hell."

"Oh, you will, will you?" Suko mused, tapping her finger on her chin as she pretended to contemplate her threat as it merely fanned the flames burning within her. "Well, I'll tell you what. You apologize to my friend over there for the bullshit spewing out of your mouth and you won't have to go to the trouble, hmm?"

"Apologize to that lovesick _dog?_ " The blonde looked to her friends and laughed before turning back to Suko. "No thanks, I don't need him following me around like he did Sato-chan."

"You know," Suko's glare lessened as she rested a hand against the table and leaned against it. "He may be loyal, tenacious, and intelligent, but that certainly doesn't make him a dog. You really do have a warped sense of reality if you think someone like Oikawa-kun would even bother with a bitch like you."

"I sw-"

"I don't care," Suko shrugged, interrupting her. "Whatever you're going to say, I really don't give a shit. You've done nothing but prove you're a pile of trash hiding behind a pretty face. Just keep our names out of your mouth and you won't have to deal with me again," she reached over and tugged lightly on the blonde's braid. "Got it?"

Takahashi blinked at her similarly gaping friends, her cheeks growing red as she opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to come up with a comeback.

"Good," Suko confirmed before spinning on her heel and returning to her seat.

Iwaizumi clapped a heavy hand on Suko's shoulder before ruffling her hair. "That was awesome, Suko-san!"

" _Staaahp_ , Iwa-san," she laughed, trying to swat his hand away unsuccessfully.

"Or what? You gonna beat me up?"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "I'm gonna kick your ass when you least expect it!"

"You better listen to her, Iwa-chan," Oikawa smiled, his focus solely on her. "I have a feeling she isn't just all talk."

Suko glanced over at Oikawa as Iwaizumi retracted his hand, leaving her hair a complete disaster. The setter's eyes crinkled in the corners as his smile reached them and he leaned across the table to fix her hair – it was the least he could do. "Thanks, Suko-chan," he spoke quietly as he smoothed out the nest of espresso strands.

"If I ever hear you say you're not worth it again," Suko replied in a similarly hushed tone, her gaze flickering up to his as she continued. "I'll kick your ass too."

While confidence had never truly been something Oikawa lacked, that moment solidified in him the significance of courage and character. He prided himself on being observant of those around him, and one thing Oikawa was quick to pick up on was that whenever Suko was anxious about something, she seemingly channeled that anxiety into her left hand and let it fidget extensively. To anyone watching, Suko's confidence looked unwavering but as she defended him, Oikawa couldn't help noticing her left hand tucked strategically behind her back, trembling like a leaf in a windstorm.

As Oikawa sat across from his beautiful date this evening, he found himself reminiscing about the fact that despite Suko's obvious anxiety, and regardless of the fact that they hadn't been friends for a very long time, she saw something in him worth defending – something worth fighting for.

-

Across the city in a local diner, Suko sat in a squeaky vinyl booth across from a date of her own. She stared at the cubes of ice floating in her glass, the carbonation causing little bubbles to fizzle as she poked at it with a straw.

"So then the guy totally backed down cause, you know," the male smirked. "He didn't wanna fuck with me."

"Wow," Suko sighed, pissed off at herself for agreeing to go on a date with such a _riveting_ companion.

"Yeah," he grinned proudly. "A hottie like you needs a guy like me around to keep you safe, y'know? I got your back, I eat guys like that for breakfast."

"Just to be clear," the brunette raised an eyebrow at him. Though she was only half paying attention, she still knew the gist of the story and it certainly wasn't cause for such macho behaviour. "The point of your story was that you told off some dude who was asking you nicely to move down a seat at the movie theatre and that means you could in some way keep me safe from danger?"

"Well, when you put it like that it doesn't sound quite as convincing. But you gotta believe me when I say this guy was _huge_ , Suko-san."

Pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes, Suko contemplated her options. The first, and probably most polite option, was to stick out this horrible date until the end and then tell him thanks but no thanks. The second was to speak her mind and see if he could handle it. And the third option was to run as far away as she could as fast as she could.

Glancing down at her phone on the table beside her to check the time, she realized that the torturous hours she felt she'd already invested in this date had merely been thirty minutes and she just didn't possess the patience to fake an interest in this asshole's delusional fuckery.

"Oh," she picked up her phone and grimaced. "Sorry, Hirano-san. Looks like I just missed a call from my dad and he only calls when it's something important, so I've got to head home to check on him."

"I didn't hear your phone go off," he blinked, his head tilted to the side slightly, not realizing that he was just sticking another nail in this date's proverbial coffin.

" _For fuck's sake_ ," Suko muttered under her breath. She was actually trying to throw him a bone and do this nicely but it seemed that wasn't in the stars for tonight. "It didn't, you're right. I just can't imagine spending the next two hours listening to the toxic masculinity crap falling out of your mouth and having to pretend to be interested."

Suko slid out of the booth and grabbed her phone, slipping it into the pocket of her leather jacket that she had shrugged back on atop her blood red skater dress. "Thanks for the drink, but uh, this wouldn't have worked out."

Not giving him a chance to reply, Suko took long strides through the diner and once the cool evening breeze hit her bare legs, she felt like she was finally able to relax. Unzipping the hidden pocket on the inside of her jacket, Suko pulled out a lighter along with a thin metal case and flicked it open, slipping a cigarette between her fingers before snapping it shut and returning it to its home.

Scraping her thumb against the lighter's metal gears, Suko poised the cigarette between her lips and brought the flame towards the tip until it was lit. Taking a long drag, she let the smoke fill her lungs before tilting her head back and exhaling, releasing the tension held in her shoulders at the same time.

"What a shitshow," she muttered to herself as she walked down the street towards the bus station, unwinding in the only way she felt would be helpful in the moment.

As she stubbed out her cigarette she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she sighed as she pulled it out.

 **Iwa**  
Just making sure you haven't been murdered yet.

 **Suko**  
How considerate of you.

 **Iwa**  
That was quick. Bad date?

 **Suko**  
You could say that.

 **Iwa**  
Need me to call and fake an emergency?

 **Suko**  
Little late for that... I'm almost at the train station.

 **Iwa**  
I'll meet you at your stop. See you soon.

-

When her train squealed to a stop, Suko walked through the door as it slid open and immediately spotted Iwaizumi leaning against a nearby cement beam. "I'm a grown ass woman, I know how to get home you know," she called out as she approached.

Iwaizumi's nose crinkled up in disgust as he hopped to her side. "You smell like a damn ashtray. Haven't you given that shit up yet?"

"Oh, can it," Suko waved away his concern. "It's on an as-needed basis and today was definitely needed."

"That bad, huh?"

"Well, he spent the first ten minutes talking about his _smokin' hot_ ex-girlfriend, followed up by completely objectifying me in return, and then tried to hype himself up by telling me a stories about him being a medieval dickweed to some strangers," Suko shook her head as she glanced over at her friend. "So all in all, an eventful half an hour."

"Yeesh," Iwaizumi grimaced. "That's... unfortunate."

"Yeah," Suko chuckled incredulously at the experience. "Reaaaal piece of work."

"If he gives you any trouble let me know," he hummed, shoving his hands in his pocket as they walked the route toward her house. "I have no problem putting guys like that in their place."

"He'd probably piss his pants if someone actually tried to fight him," she mused, the thought bringing a small smile to her cherry lips. "Frickin' jackass..."

"How long are you gonna keep going for douchebags like that, Suko?" Iwaizumi questioned, hoping that he might be able to lay a little more groundwork for his best friend.

"He didn't seem like a douche when we met at that café though," she defended.

"You talked to him for like five minutes before you gave him your number, pal. No way is that long enough to get a read on someone."

Suko sighed and ran a hand through her silken hair. "I hate that you're right all the time, Iwa."

"It's a blessing and a curse," he shrugged.

"Yeah, poor you," she teased, lightly pushing his shoulder.

A smile turned the corner of Iwaizumi's lips upward. He knew that she probably needed to vent, which was the main reason he had decided to walk her home, but he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her. "While we're on the topic of me being right..."

"Ugh," Suko tossed her head back. "Here it comes."

"You really need to stop smoking. You're an athlete, Suko! You know how bad that shit is for you," he lectured.

" _Iwa-chan_ ," she called out in a sing-songy voice, mimicking their mutual friend.

"Don't fuckin' say it."

She smirked, of course he knew exactly what she was about to say and she knew precisely how he was about to react. " _Iwa-chan_ , are you my mom?"

"You little-"

Before he could finish grumbling, he reached out to grab her jacket, only to have her begin running away from him, her cackling the loudest thing in the city soundscape as Iwaizumi chased her down the street.


	4. Chapter 4

**Trashykawa**  
We're going out. Where are you?

 **Iwa-chan**  
Aren't you supposed to be on a date?

 **Trashykawa**  
It's over. There's a house party not far from campus, let's go.

 **Iwa-chan**  
Send the address.

-

Bass-heavy music thumped in Oikawa's ear as he found himself with a red solo cup in one hand and an arm draped over a woman's shoulder while they stood amongst a small cluster of mostly intoxicated university students. Wrapping her arm around Oikawa's waist, the woman stretched up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Dance with me?"

"Hmm," Oikawa hummed, a small smirk playing upon his lips as his cheek tingled in the spot her lips once touched. "I think I might need more convincing."

A soft giggle escaped her and she repeated the action before tugging him into motion and towards the makeshift dance floor near the sound system not far away. Placing his cup down on the corner of a table they passed, Oikawa let the woman guide him through the crowd of sticky bodies until she was satisfied with their placement near the center of the group.

With his hands naturally falling to her hips, Oikawa pulled her as close as possible to his frame and her arms raised to rest loosely around his neck. The beat pulsed as he gazed down at the blonde with lustful eyes that travelled down to her cleavage unapologetically.

"Like what you see?" She smiled coyly, swaying her hips against his as she moved to the music.

Each pass of her body across his only encouraged him further, his innocent date earlier clearly wasn't going to work as a distraction from his feelings for Suko this time, so he might as well let his more carnal desires loose and see if that's any more effective.

Oikawa's slender fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt and explored the skin that laid just above the waistband of her skintight jeans. A pleasant hum of approval escaped her lips and as the song changed to one more upbeat, she turned in his grip to leave her ass grinding against him with her every movement.

Leaning down to rest his chin on her shoulder, Oikawa pressed his lips against the crook of her neck. As the female tilted her head to the side to give him more real estate to work with, he didn't hesitate to repeat the action - only this time when his eyes lifted, he caught the gaze of the one person he had been trying his hardest to ignore.

Though he hadn't had a lot to drink, he'd had enough to spike his confidence and as if he were daring her to look away, Oikawa's eyes stayed locked onto hers while he placed another sensual kiss against his partner's neck, wishing it was her.

Suko raised an eyebrow at her friend, trying to focus on anything other than the flutter she'd felt in her stomach at the intensity of his stare. Pulling his lips up into a devious smirk, Oikawa continued to hold her eye contact as he tilted his chin up just enough to nibble on the woman's earlobe.

Bearing witness to such an intimate moment was enough to make her heart race, but the way he focused on her left her wondering just what it felt like to be on the receiving end of Oikawa's skilled touch.

Jumping the moment Iwaizumi's hand landed on her shoulder, Suko was pulled out of sinful thoughts and into the present moment. "What's got your panties is a twist? Sheesh."

Grateful that she wasn't one to easily blush, Suko swatted her friend's arm. "Oh shut up," she nodded out to the crowd. "I found Tooru like you asked but he seems a bit...busy."

"Gross," Iwaizumi shuddered as he looked at the melting pot of his peers dancing much too close for his comfort.

"It will seem more appealing after a few drinks," she chuckled. "Though you've always hated dancing, haven't you?"

"Hated is an understatement."

"Of course," Suko patted his shoulder roughly. "You're too manly to dance, right?"

Just as Iwaizumi was about to reply, the brunette grinned at him and jutted her thumb towards the kitchen. "I'm gonna get us drinks. You focus on perfecting that sour face of yours to keep all the girls away and I'll be back before you know it!"

"Fuck you," Iwaizumi rolled his eyes but the small curve of his lips hinted that he was hiding a smile.

Nudging his shoulder with hers as she passed, Suko weaved her way through the room to the kitchen. Dented beer cans and empty liquor bottles were scattered about every surface and though she doubted there would be anything left in the fridge at this point, Suko took her chances.

The soft glow of the refrigerator light bathed her skin as she stared into the appliance, her eyes lighting up with glee as she spotted two beer bottles hiding behind an expired carton of milk. Humming happily along to the song assaulting her ears, Suko brought the drinks to the counter and when she quickly scanned the surface for a bottle opener with no luck, she fished out her trusty sunshine yellow Bic lighter.

Wielding the item like a seasoned professional, Suko wedged it between her fingers and the bottle, getting the right angle before effortlessly popping the cap off.

"You're pretty good at that."

Lifting her eyes to investigate the observer she wasn't aware she had, Suko caught sight of an impossibly tall man with shaggy black hair and piercing emerald eyes. "What's it to you, Top Shelf?"

The man's lips pulled up into a smile at her sassy reply, intrigued to say the least. Taking a few long strides to find himself at her side, he let his eye rake over her body unabashedly. "You new to Sendai U? No way I'd miss a piece like you in the halls."

Rolling her eyes at his statement, Suko returned her attention to the task at hand and grabbed the second beer bottle, popping the top off just as fluidly as the first. Running his fingers along the sleeve of her jacket before reaching out for a strand of her long, dark hair, he spoke again. "Playing hard to get, hmm?"

"God forbid a woman isn't interested in a sleaze like you," Suko scoffed as she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me."

His smile grew, only this time the look in his eye sent a shiver down her spine in the worst way. "I like a strong woman," he mused. "It'll be much more satisfying when you beg for me later."

Suko couldn't hide the look of disgust on her face as her nose crinkled up and she looked toward the doorway. "I'll pass," she commented dryly as she slipped her lighter back into her pocket and wrapped the fingers of her left hand around the two bottlenecks before walking away.

With a raised eyebrow, the man watched as she took a few steps forward, her ass catching his attention as she did so. Seeing an unexpected challenge ahead of him, the raven-haired man stepped after her.

The moment his hand clenched around her elbow had been the same instant her eyes met with Iwaizumi's and the way her entire body stiffened was cue enough for him to know that it was both unsolicited and unwanted.

Tugging her to face him once again, the man's sickly sweet smile beamed down at her. "Don't stray too far, Princess. We're just getting to know each other."

"Like fuck we were," She snapped, Iwaizumi's challenging aura a presence she could already feel as he stomped towards the two, anger rolling off of him in waves.

Snatching her arm out of the man's claw-like grip with the confidence of knowing one of her best friends was on his way if she needed it, Suko pulled her elbow back to wind up before striking his jaw.

He growled as she shook out her hand, glaring at her as he muttered, "You little bitch."

The fire in her eyes burned like the surface of the sun and reason began to drift further away from the shore of her mind. A scoff left her lips and her stinging hand clenched at her side as she heavily contemplated punching the asshole again.

Though he was also pretty pissed off about what was happening right now, as Iwaizumi approached, it was as if he could read Suko's mind. He knew she was out for blood and if he didn't stop her now, it would escalate even further. Wrapping his arm around her stomach to contain her as he approached her from behind, Iwaizumi cleared his throat. "Let's go, Scrappy. Cool your head."

"He deserves to get hit again!" She spat, fighting against his hold as the man smirked at her struggling, riling her up even more.

"Obviously," Iwaizumi shot a glare at the stranger as he started to laugh. Knowing he needed to take her out of the situation, the brunette turned around and began pulling her away despite her struggling to free herself from him. "If he tries shit again it won't be you hitting him, Suko. It'll be me."

Iwaizumi glanced over his shoulder as he called out, "And it'll hurt a hell of a lot more."

"Uggggh!" She groaned in frustration, nearly dumping out their beers as she flailed her arm. "Just let me get one more punch! Right to the nose!"

"Hey, watch the beer, Suko! I don't wanna smell like an alcoholic on a bender."

" _That's_ what you're upset about?" The woman slumped in his arms, becoming dead weight that he supported. "Come _on_ , Iwa."

"You're not wrong, but you need to take a breath, alright?"

"This coming from the resident hothead over here," Suko grumbled.

"I let you get a good hit in," Iwaizumi reasoned, letting his hold on her loosen before plucking a beer out of her hand.

A slew of curses found their way out of Suko's mouth as she closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath to try and relax. Nothing happened. She was okay. The guy was an asshole but Iwa was right, at least she got to hit him; now they were even, right?

While she was sorting herself out, Suko didn't notice the couple approaching them but Oikawa's sing-song voice was unmistakable. "Yuri-chaaaaaan," he hummed. "We can't take you anywhere, can we?"

Suko's eyelids slid open and for a split second, Oikawa could see the vulnerability she'd masked with her anger. "Not my fucking fault the guy grabbed me, Trashykawa."

Having his attention caught only just as she retracted her fist from the stranger's face, Oikawa's eyebrows furrowed. "He _what?"_

"She's fine now," the blonde clinging to his arm chimed in, wanting merely to keep as much of Oikawa's attention for herself. "Nothing to worry about."

Letting her eyes flicker to the blonde's for a moment before meeting once again with his, Suko found herself becoming uncharacteristically self-conscious under his questioning gaze. Bringing the chilled bottle to her lips, she took a slow sip and stared at the ground.

"Yeah," was all she muttered as she swallowed thickly.

"Your form was pretty good though, Suko," Iwaizumi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug, trying to turn the mood around while comforting her. "He'll probably have a bruise from that later."

Bringing Oikawa's attention back to the real reason that prompted him to approach them, he stared at his best friend and his crush sharing a small embrace that once again sparked jealousy within him. He didn't even know Iwaizumi was bringing Suko tonight, she had mentioned she had a date, and yet here she was... with him.

While it wasn't unusual for the pair to hang out without Oikawa, he found himself more perturbed this particular evening because of how physical they were being. Sure, Iwaizumi was practically dragging her away from starting a fight with Andre the Giant over there, but did he have to hold her so closely? Did he have to hug her? ...Did she have to let him?

Suko leaned into Iwaizumi's hug for a moment, his soothing warmth enough to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about. Worming away from his hold, she brought her hands up into a playful fighting stance and jabbed at the air in front of Iwaizumi, trying to shake it off. "I gotta stay warmed up in case he doesn't bruise," she smirked. "Practice makes perfect."

Iwaizumi held up his hands with his palms facing her and motioned for her to hit them. She threw a few jabs before a quiet squeal sounded from across from her.

Growing more annoyed with each passing second they looked so chummy, Oikawa found himself resorting to less-than-wholesome tactics to earn Suko's attention with the ultimate goal of eliciting a response, any response.

"Oikawa-saaaan," the blonde giggled.

He smirked, leaning down to kiss her. "What? Your giggle is so cute, I can't help but want to hear it."

Rolling her eyes at the display before her, Suko peered over at Iwaizumi. "We should let Tooru get back to his date, Iwa."

"Yeah, I don't think I can stomach hanging around for all this."

"Speaking of dates," Oikawa slipped his arm around the woman's waist, his fingers toying with the hem of her shirt. "Aren't you supposed to be on one, Yuri-chan?"

"It was a bust," she sighed. "The guy was a total dick."

"Isn't that what you said about the last one?"

"Yeah, because he was."

"Hmm," he tapped a finger on his chin. "They can't all be jerks, you must be doing something wrong."

Suko's arms crossed over her chest defensively. "And your luck is that much better, is it?"

Oikawa raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not the one who's here alone after another failed date."

"Don't act like your date earlier was some match made in heaven, Shittykawa," Iwaizumi chimed in to knock Oikawa down a peg.

Feeling righteous hearing this new information, Suko smirked. "Looks like I'm not the only one going on shit dates," she looked over at the woman in his arms. "Speaking of which, you haven't introduced us to your second date of the evening."

Knowing that he couldn't recall even asking the woman's name earlier, Oikawa felt backed into a corner and there was no way he was about to lose this spat. The words that he called out in return were only meant to injure – and they did just that.

"Yuri-chan," he lifted his hand to twirl a strand of his date's luscious hair. "Please meet the most beautiful and enchanting woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Unlike you, she's quite friendly and sweet. You should consider becoming more like her, maybe it will make you less of a miserable shrew and more likable to attract the right kind of man, hmm?"

Suko didn't anticipate his criticism to cut as deeply as it did, it's not like they hadn't exchanged heated words before but today it felt different. Maybe it was because she truly was disappointed she'd been having bad luck dating or maybe it was because she was feeling a bit vulnerable after the incident that had just occurred, but either way, the sharp pang in her chest pained her in more ways than one – and she hated that.

With one hand clutching her beer and the other running through her thick curtain of hair, Suko simply sighed. "If you're implying that _you_ are the right kind of man I should be trying to attract, maybe being a miserable shrew isn't so bad." She raised her bottle and poised it in front of her lips before adding, "Enjoy the rest of your night with your lovely partner."

Walking past them as she sipped her beer, Suko didn't make eye contact with anyone, instead choosing to focus on her path to the door. Oikawa's stomach lurched as he watched her walk away, filling him with instant regret. The woman attached to his hip propped herself up on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, "I think you're really great too, Oikawa-san."

A small plastic smile curved his lips as he hummed a polite word of thanks, his eyes flickering over to receive Iwaizumi's disapproving glare.


	5. Chapter 5

Rhythmically laying one foot down in front of the other while the crisp morning air fanned against her skin, Suko tried her best to focus solely on her breathing. It had been a while since she had taken the time to go for a morning jog but now that she finally pushed herself to do it, she questioned why she stopped in the first place.

Having barely slept the night before because she couldn't get her brain to shut the hell up, Suko hoped that a jog would be enough to clear her head. Over and over again she saw the same image in her mind when she closed her eyes, each time growing increasingly frustrated with what she saw and why she saw it. 

Flashes of Oikawa's feverish gaze and sexy smirk directed towards her as he dragged his lips across another woman's neck drove her insane every time she blinked. Why couldn't she just let it go? Why couldn't she shake the image from her mind? Why did he even do that? 

"Ugh," she groaned as she tilted her head back to look up at the tye-dye sky above her. _That fucker loves to mess with me, that's all this is... he's trying to get under my skin... it's just a game...it doesn't mean anything._

Pulling her black baseball cap further down on her forehead, Suko once again tried to focus on only her breathing and for a few minutes she was actually successful. Unfortunately for her, out of habit she chose to run a path that wasn't only familiar to her and when Oikawa turned the corner during _his_ morning jog and saw that impossibly long ponytail swaying from side to side, his immediate instinct was to call out to her. 

"Yuri-chaaaaan," Oikawa's sing-song voice was steady despite his elevated heart rate and although Suko heard him, she didn't bother with any acknowledgement.

Anxiety bubbled in Oikawa's stomach as she sped up and though he wasn't surprised she was upset with him, he was still feeling pretty guilty about the way they'd parted the night before. 

"Yuri-chan," he sighed loudly and increased his pace. "I know you can hear me."

"Then get the hint and fuck off," she called out, still refusing to look in his direction. Her mind was still jumbled and she wasn't ready to see him yet, at least not until she had a more significant amount of sleep. 

Hearing his footsteps approaching, Suko sprinted to keep her distance. Of course, this merely provoked Oikawa's competitive side and encouraged him to speed up as well. 

Trying to fight the upward curve of her lips at his silent challenge, Suko pushed herself further. Propelling herself forward with a new purpose in mind, the brunette refused to lose to him. After all, if he thought she was a 'miserable shrew' then she was going to show him just how much of one she could be. 

"Yuri," he said more seriously as his fingertips gently skimmed the skin of her elbow, just barely missing the opportunity to hold her. "Please." 

"Race to the water fountain," she instructed, pulling her arm closer to her body in hopes that he wouldn't be able to reach it after his touch sent a shiver down her spine. "Winner gets to not listen to your fucking shit." 

"Bold challenge for someone so out of practice," Oikawa hummed, rolling his eyes at her continued hostility. 

"You're all talk, Loserkawa," Suko rebutted, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Connecting with her gaze, the raging storm of guilt began to calm within him. Nothing in her expression led him to believe that their friendship was irreparably wounded by his words yesterday, in fact, the challenging glint in her eye only gave him further hope for just the opposite of that. 

Forcing his legs to work harder, Oikawa drove toward his new goal with determination. He'd only beaten her in a footrace a handful of times but he was counting on this becoming one of them. Sprinting through city streets and into a local park, the pair fought for the lead as they both occasionally pulled forward in front of the other. A small smile had tugged up Suko's lips without her realizing, keeping up with Oikawa was a bit of a struggle for her today but that only motivated her more – she hated losing to him, he was always so smug about it. 

The scenic layout of the park was missed by the two runners and whilst Suko had focused her eyes on the small concrete fountain ahead, Oikawa's gaze was solely focused on her, leaving him to lag behind just enough for her to claim her victory. 

Despite being out of breath with a lightly heaving chest, Suko put her hands on her hips and grinned at her friend. "Even out of practice I can kick your ass, Shittykawa."

"Don't get so cocky, Yuri-chan," Oikawa's lips tugged in the corner into a smirk. "I let you win."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she scoffed, the smile completely wiped from her face. "You're such a bad loser." 

He shrugged, running a hand through his sweat dampened hair. "That's nothing new." 

"No," she grumbled, dropping her hands from her hips as she turned and started to walk away. "It's not." 

Seeing his window of opportunity to apologize quickly beginning to close, Oikawa's body moved on its own accord and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her waist. Suko squeaked as she was tugged back against his chest and she tried to squirm out of his hold. "Let me go!" 

"Not until you forgive me."

"Oh fuck you, Assikawa," she spat, trying to maneuver her arms to move freely without any success. 

"Come on, Yuri-chan," he hummed, squeezing his arms around her tighter. "Stop being so stubborn."

Knowing she was just wasting energy fighting off his hold, Suko stopped struggling and sighed. "You're horrible at apologies, you know. You didn't even say sorry." 

"I didn't?" A quiet chuckle left his lips as he loosened his grip but kept his arms around her, resting his chin against the top of her head. "I must have just been thinking it then." 

The warmth of his now comforting embrace wasn't lost on Suko as she closed her eyes, attempting to focus on anything other than how soothing it actually felt to be held by him right now. Suko huffed with frustration as she became well aware of every inch of their bodies that had been touching, reminding her only of the moment she bore witness to last night and the confusion that brought along with it.

Assuming her sharp exhale was due to his cheekiness, Oikawa laughed again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I swear." 

"Whatever," Suko grumbled, taking advantage of his slack hold on her and slipping away in an effort to gain more control over herself. She briefly lifted off her hat and ran a hand through her hair as she continued walking and Oikawa quickly fell into step at her side. 

"Yuri-chan," his playful voice called out to her as he gently nudged her side. "Don't you think you owe me an apology too?"

"Tch," she clicked her tongue while kicking a pebble ahead of her.

"You were pretty judgy yesterday," he pointed his finger upward to accentuate his words. "That kinda sucked." 

The sound of nearby birds chirping happily in a tree along the wooded path ahead filled the silence between them as Suko spent a long moment contemplating _her_ words from the night before rather than dwelling on the ones he'd delivered. 

"You're right, we both said some dumb shit," she glanced over at him, her eyes flickering across his profile until he met her gaze. "Sorry."

Shaking out the tension in his shoulders, Oikawa sighed happily. "All is forgiven, my little Yuri-chan." 

"So how'd it go with the future Mrs. Oikawa?" Suko questioned, bringing her attention to the winding path as they walked a route they'd taken hundreds of times together on their morning jogs throughout high school. "You guys hit it off or what?"

The melancholia of her tone gave Oikawa pause and he peeked at her, admiring the way the morning sunrise cast a warm glow on her skin only enhancing her natural beauty that much more. "We got in a bit of a spat and she left," he mused. 

"Really? I thought you said she was sweet?"

"Oooh, you meant Uchida-chan," Oikawa shrugged. "She's cute. We have a date later in the week." 

Suko rolled her eyes at what he had implied, brushing it off – it's just his personality. "That's good, maybe you've finally found the woman who can hold your attention for a while." 

_I've already found the woman who can hold my attention,_ Oikawa thought as he plastered a smile on his lips. "Yeah, maybe." 

The two chatted as they walked through the park, sharing a few laughs as she spared him no details of her bad date when he asked. Despite his greatest fear of Suko never returning his affections, Oikawa knew he'd rather have her as one of his closest friends than not have her around at all. It was moments like this that instilled in him the reminder of how much he enjoyed her mere presence. Talking with her, giggling with her, even just sharing comfortable silence – he loved it all and after being deprived of their morning ritual for a few months, this felt like heaven. 

Of course, since graduation, they'd still hung out often and texted all the time, but there was something about seeing her first thing in the morning that made the day that much sweeter. This was one of the only things that they used to do without Iwaizumi and over time it strengthened the bond between them. 

Spending time one on one gave them the opportunity to get to know each other more intimately and even though Suko rarely confided in him – or anyone, for that matter - about significant problems, she always had a harder time hiding behind her abrupt façade first thing in the morning. 

Though Suko found herself blaming her grogginess for letting things slip during their runs, she knew that wasn't entirely true. Oikawa was so much more candid with her when they were alone. He was open and honest, he asked for advice and opinions when he needed it, and was always interested in her perspective before making big decisions. He valued and trusted her in a way she didn't understand, and sometimes if she wasn't careful, it was easy to get caught up in it. 

Sure, Oikawa was overbearing and at times obnoxious, but what a lot of people didn't bother to see were the little things he did with good intentions. He'd play into the charismatic persona created for him, magnifying it into a satiric caricature of himself to get a laugh out of his friends when things were tense or someone was down.

He wanted to make sure the people around him were happy, even if it was at his own expense, and he pushed himself to work hard to ensure the people he loved were proud of him. To make sure that _she_ was proud of him. 

It wasn't long before the two made it to the end of Suko's driveway, Oikawa running a hand through his hair as he smiled softly at her. Tapping the bill of her baseball cap, he hummed. "You know, just because you're not on a team right now doesn't mean you can't run anymore."

"I know...it's just hard to find the motivation when there isn't much of a point."

"Don't you like to run, Yuri-chan?" Oikawa questioned, knowing without a doubt that it was something she found great joy in.

"Well, yeah. Bu-"

"That should be motivation enough," he poked her shoulder before propping one hand on his hip. "And if it's not, then I'll just have to stop by every morning and drag you along with me."

"You're such a pain in the ass, you know that?" Suko chuckled, glancing at the front door of her house with a slight frown; she wasn't ready to go home yet. 

"Yeah, but you love me," he shrugged. 

"In your dreams," she rolled her eyes before lifting her hands to adjust her ponytail. "We should grab breakfast or something, though."

A warmth spread through his chest at the idea of Suko wanting to spend more time with him, only making the sting of having to refuse hurt that much more painful. Oikawa peered down at his wristwatch and sighed. "I'm sorry, Yuri-chan. I've got practice in fifteen."

"Right," She nodded and scratched her cheek. "I should've thought of that. Well, another day then I guess."

"I'd like that," Oikawa hummed and she gave him a small wave before heading up her driveway. 

While he watched her walk away, he was relieved that they'd come across each other this morning and were able to clear the air, but more than anything, he felt happy to have started his day in the best way possible - with her. 

"Sayuri-chan," Oikawa called out, a sincere smile directed towards her as she looked over her shoulder at him. Their gazes connected and he felt a tug at his heart; _she's so beautiful_. "I missed this."

Suko's eyes crinkled softly in the corners, his genuine tone one that he chose to use sparingly, only making his words more impactful. "Me too, Tooru."


	6. Chapter 6

The slightest smirk was held on Oikawa's lips as the Sendai University mens' volleyball team played against their Tokyo based rivals. Though confidence wasn't something he often lacked, today he felt even more unshakable in his belief in himself. Every time the synthetic leather touched his skin he felt completely in control of the ball, whenever his eyes flickered over to check in on a member of his team he felt connected to them, and the majority of their plays and plans worked as anticipated. It would've been a perfect game if it weren't for one thing. Or well, one person. 

Despite playing on the same team for several months now, Oikawa still loathed Ushijima Wakatoshi. Playing on the same team as someone who had very little regard for actually working as a team was incredibly frustrating for both he and Iwaizumi. No one could deny his strength, skill, and athletic ability, but when it came to meshing well with a group, Ushijima fell flat. Being someone who'd always stood out and been praised for his finesse as an individual, the super ace wasn't exactly easy to work with but still, Oikawa had no choice but to utilize him as a player for his team's advantage; it'd be foolish not to. 

Setting him the perfect toss to pass above the three-person block the other team had created, Oikawa watched as Ushijima wound up and spiked the ball over the block, earning them the final and winning point of the game. 

In the stands, Suko sat back with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the game with a critical eye. Her friends' disdain for the man was certainly no secret, but after spending over three years watching their volleyball games, she always did find games where Ushijima played more enjoyable than most. Maybe it was the intense aura that surrounded him or the sharp focus you could see written all over his face...or maybe it was just because the man was built like a fucking grecian god. Okay, maybe it was mostly that last part. 

Leaning against the wall across from the men's change rooms after the game finished, Suko waited for Iwaizumi and Oikawa. She scrolled through social media on her phone as people filtered out of the area but a head of greenish-brown hair caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she looked up. 

"You did well today, Ushijima-san," she noted, locking her phone and slipping it into her pocket. 

Pausing at the sound of her silken voice, Ushijima's olive eyes focused on the woman before him. Though they'd never met, he'd noticed her around before. How could he not notice someone like Suko, she certainly stood out. Wearing a strapless sky blue top that bared her toned midriff along with tight, distressed light-wash jeans, Ushijima couldn't help but admire her form. "Of course I did," he confirmed. "I always do." 

A smirk tugged up her lips as she slipped her hands into her front pockets. Iwaizumi always referred to the guy as a 'cocky son of a bitch' and now she understood why. "You sure are one for modesty." 

"I have no patience for the naivety of pretending to be humble." 

"Nothing wrong with knowing your worth, I suppose," Suko laughed. "Guess I didn't need to bother saying anything then." 

Studying the brunette with a mild curiosity, Ushijima took a step closer to her, his frame towering over the female despite her being only a handful of inches shorter. She raised an eyebrow at him, prompting him to speak again. "Why are you here?" 

"Just waiting for my friends," Suko shrugged, trying to get a read on the stone-faced volleyball star. "If I'm bothering you, you're welcome to leave." 

The subtle smirk that played upon his lips was enough to make her knees weak but her resolve was much too strong to let that show. "Luckily that's not the case." 

"Iwa-chan, do yo-" Stopping mid-sentence as he caught sight of Ushijima standing much too close to Suko for his liking, Oikawa's eyes narrowed at them and he was quick to call out to him. 

"Just what do you think you're doing with _my_ Yuri-chan, Ushiwaka?" 

The man in question glanced over his shoulder at his teammates a few feet away. "Talking." 

Suko snickered quietly at his obvious reply and Oikawa's eyes snapped over to hers. " _Talking?_ Since when do you fraternize with the enemy?" 

"Oh calm down, Tooru. I can talk to whoever I want," she dismissed his pointed tone with a wave of her hand. "I can take care of myself, relax." 

Iwaizumi looked between Suko and Ushijima as if to assess the situation before speaking. "Ready to go, then?" 

"Not quite yet," she hummed, bringing all of their attention to her before Oikawa let out a jealous scoff. 

"What could you possibly have to say to him?" He placed a hand on his hip and frowned at her. "Come on, Yuri-chan. There's no way you're _that_ desperate." 

"You don't have to be so rude, Shittykawa," Suko chided, his remark only further egging her on. With a quick look up at Ushijima, whose olive eyes met with hers, she gave a small smile and slipped his phone out of his hand. 

After tapping her contact information into the device with no real desire or anticipation of Ushijima _actually_ using it, she handed it back to him, her fingers grazing his lightly as she did so. "If you feel like meeting up, let me know." 

Fuming silently with fists clenching at his side, Oikawa could hardly contain his jealousy and Iwaizumi could feel his anger radiating off of him. 

"Calm down, dumbass," Iwaizumi hissed, smacking his friend on the back of the head to knock some sense into him. 

"Bu-" 

Hitting him again in the exact same spot, Iwaizumi glared, daring him to defy his order. Oikawa rubbed the back of his head and whined, "Iwa-chaaaan, you didn't have to hit me again. Once was enough!" 

"Clearly it wasn't," Iwaizumi retorted, his eyes flickering over to Suko as she took the few steps to close the distance between them. "You good?" 

"Yep. What did you guys have planned for tonight?" 

"Why do you care?" Oikawa stuck his tongue out childishly. "Shouldn't you be sucking face with Ushiwaka?" 

Suko blinked at him before raising her eyebrow. "You know, I didn't even think of that. Maybe I should ask him." 

Suko looked over her shoulder and inhaled deeply as she was about to foolishly call out to Ushijima just to spite her friend, but felt a hand clasp over her mouth at the last second. "Don't." 

Swiping her tongue out against Oikawa's palm to get him to let go only brightened his eyes and livened his demeanour. "Yuri-chan," he smirked, letting his thumb drag down her bottom lip as he slipped his hand away. "How did you know I like it when women use tongue?" 

Making an aggressive barfing sound, Suko shoved Oikawa's shoulder and he stumbled slightly as he chuckled. "You're such an asshole," she huffed. 

"And yet you still love me," he pointed a finger upwards with a wide smile. 

"Ha," she rolled her eyes. "That's debatable." 

"You say that, but I know it's trueeee," he poked at her cheek as he sang his words teasingly. "You loooove me." 

Suko looked over at Iwaizumi and jutted her thumb in Oikawa's direction. "I think today might be the day I actually do it, Iwa." 

Iwaizumi's head cocked to the side slightly. "Do what?"

A devilish smirk curved her lips as she let her eyes flicker over to Oikawa before returning to him. "Kick Trashykawa's ass." 

"You wouldn't even dare," Oikawa chuckled, shrugging off her seemingly empty threat as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. "You're like one of those cute little dogs, all bark and no bite." 

Turning her head to leave her lips only inches away from his ear, Suko's voice became low and sultry as she taunted him. "Wanna bet?" 

The serious tone sent a shiver down Oikawa's spine. "I don't know whether to be scared or turned on right now." 

"Scared," Iwaizumi replied with a confident smirk. 

Oikawa's gaze met with hers as he let his arm fall from her shoulders only to grimace at the fiery look in her eyes which told him all he needed to know: _run_. -- 

The next evening Iwaizumi sat at his desk in his and Oikawa's shared dorm room, studying for an upcoming test when his roommate burst through the door, closing it behind him before dramatically flopping onto his bed. 

Knowing there was no point in asking how Oikawa's date went because he was just going to blurt it out anyway, Iwaizumi continued reading while he had the chance. The setter huffed, folding his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling above. 

When that didn't garner Iwaizumi's full attention, Oikawa loudly sighed. "Iwa-chan, aren't you going to ask me how it went?" 

"Why ask when I already know," he replied, not bothering to look over. 

"How do you already know if I didn't say anything?" 

"It's the same thing every time," Iwaizumi waved his hand in a small circle. "She was pretty or smart or funny but not as pretty or smart or funny as Suko. You're never going to actually fall for someone if you keep comparing everyone to her. You've gotta either make a move or let it go, man." 

"I flirt with her all the time," he whined. 

"You flirt with _every_ woman all the time," Iwaizumi pointed out. "It's gross, and in your case, it doesn't count as you making a move." 

Oikawa turned onto his side and propped his head up in his hand. "So you think I should ask her out?" 

"If you're finally ready to accept whichever answer she might give you, then yeah." 

"Where should I take her?" He asked with a dreamy smile, picturing her all dolled up just for him. "It can't be just anywhere." 

"You should probably ask her first before you go planning some extravagant shit," Iwaizumi advised, fully anticipating his friend's rejection. 

"Iwa-chan, you need to have more faith in me!" He hummed. "Yuri-chan will definitely say yes, I just have to find the perfect time to ask." 

"Either she wants to or she doesn't, I don't think the timing matters that much, Oikawa." 

Oikawa shook his head with a disappointed sigh. "You need to learn to be more romantic if you're going to get a girlfriend one day." 

Iwaizumi leaned back in his seat and stretched his arms over his head. "Coming from someone with your shitty experience, that means nothing." 

Not taking the comment to heart, Oikawa returned to his previous lying position, closing his eyes as he imagined what it would feel like to be genuinely close with Suko. To hold her hand as they walked through the park, to run his fingers through her hair, to feel her soft lips pressed against his...he wanted it all and he only wanted to experience those things with her. 

"Iwa-chan?" 

"What?" 

"You," Oikawa sighed as the seed of doubt began to sprout in his mind like it had thousands of times before, keeping him from asking her the question that could possibly change things for them one way or another. "You think she'll actually say yes, right?" 

Iwaizumi's eyebrows furrowed as he contemplated whether or not he should be honest, knowing that Oikawa would likely chicken out if he was and start this entire cycle over again as it had many times before. "No," he replied. "I don't. But I think you need to hear it to move on." 

"I know it seems unlikely," Oikawa's voice was steady as he spoke, swiping open his phone to look at the wallpaper image of a goofy selfie the two of them had taken together. "But if I think it won't come true, then it probably never will." 

Oikawa smiled softly as his eyes traced her features despite having already memorized the image ages ago. Tucked against his chest with his arm draped around her shoulders to pull her closer under the guise of keeping them both in the photo, Suko winked and stuck the tip of her tongue out of the corner of her upturned lips, the scrunch of her nose only making the expression that much more adorable. But the true reason he always found himself favouring this picture over the many others they had taken together over the years was that as he held her closely she had leaned into his touch and rested her hand over his heart as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

He never forgot how happy he felt in that moment and every time he looked at the image it rekindled hope that he wasn't ready to let go of.


	7. Chapter 7

"Remind me why I let you talk me into this," Suko sighed as she pushed her Oikawa-filled shopping cart through the grocery store's aisle, getting yet another judgemental look from a passing patron. "You're so ridiculous."

Oikawa leaned his head back against the inside of the cart and grinned up at her. "Because I said I'd buy the snacks tonight."

"I don't know if that's good enough anymore," she grumbled.

"Yuri-chan," he hummed teasingly, wagging his finger at her. "Since when do you care about what other people think?"

Receiving a glare that he knew was half-hearted, Oikawa hopped out of the cart smoothly and motioned for her to take his place. "You should try it. Take a turn, live a little."

She blinked. "No."

"Oh come on," he nudged her shoulder. "You know you want to, don't be a party pooper."

"No way," she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

Amused with her unnecessarily stubborn stance on this, Oikawa smirked. "If you don't climb in there I'll put you in myself."

"I think _the fuck_ not," Suko scoffed. "The hell is wrong wi-"

Interrupted by Oikawa quickly scooping her up, Suko squeaked in surprise and before she had a chance to fight him, she was plunked into the cart.

"I hate you," she glowered at him, trying her absolute hardest to fight the smile attempting to form on her lips as he nonchalantly began to push the cart forward, whistling comically.

"I don't believe you," he shrugged simply, lengthening his stride as he began to build the cart's momentum.

"You're such an ass," Suko insulted before pointing up at the big green sign overhead as they turned down a new aisle. "And an idiot. This is the wrong aisle, Bakakawa."

His eyes sparkled as he peered down at the woman clad in her favourite short shorts and baggy old track shirt, her long mostly bare legs hanging leisurely out of the cart as she stayed in the position he'd placed her in, her head tilted back to look up at him.

"We're taking a little detour, dearest Yuri-chan," he tapped his finger on the tip of her nose, which promptly scrunched up as she swatted his hand away.

With one last push, Oikawa hopped up onto the metal bar near the wheels on the bottom of the cart, propelling them forward at a faster rate that created wind to whoosh through their hair. Although Suko rolled her eyes as soon as they met his, the quiet laugh she let out along with a smile that tugged up her lips was enough to make his heart thump against the cage in his chest.

After sailing down the empty aisle, Oikawa guided them towards their destination and parked the cart in front of an array of salty snacks. "What piques your fancy today, Yuri-chan?"

"Well," she hummed, her eyes flickering across the packages. "What about pretzels?"

" _Pretzels_? What are you – eighty?"

"I look pretty hot for eighty," Suko shrugged before pulling herself up out of the cart and snagging a bag off of the shelf. "We're getting the damn pretzels."

"Okay, okay," Oikawa laughed, grabbing a bag of popcorn to add to their pile.

"Now we need something sweet," she informed and without having to give any direction, they headed towards the freezer section of the grocery store at a relaxed pace.

"Big plans this weekend?" Oikawa questioned after a short silence fell between them. "Other than a much needed movie night with your best friends, of course."

"Just a date," Suko absentmindedly fidgeted with her hair as she spoke. "Nothing too outrageous."

Oikawa nudged her side. "Your resilience in the dating game is admirable, Yuri-chan."

"Well, I guess Ushijima-san's kinda different than who I'd normally go for so who knows," she shrugged. "Maybe you were right and I've just been chasing after the wrong type of guy."

Stopping in his tracks at the notion of _his_ Yuri-chan going on a date with the man he still considered his biggest rival, Oikawa scoffed. "You're kidding, right? You're going on a date with _Ushiwaka_?"

"I was kinda surprised too," Suko mused, glancing over her shoulder at her friend when she realized he wasn't at her side. "I wasn't really expecting him to actually call but I couldn't exactly say no when I was the one who initiated the possibility."

"Uh, yes," Oikawa nodded vehemently, his heart drumming loudly in his ears. "You can absolutely say no."

Quickly fishing his phone out of his pocket as if his life depended on it, Oikawa held it out to her. "Here, call him now."

"Stop being so dramatic," Suko laughed, propping one hand on her hip. "Besides, I'm sure he's a decent enough guy. One date wouldn't hurt."

"It would be the dullest date of the century, Yuri-chan," he whined, pushing the cart forward as she began to walk away. "Hang out with me instead."

"Like hanging out with you doesn't get boring," she rolled her eyes with a soft chuckle.

"Let me take you on a date instead," Oikawa blurted out, ruining the entire plan he'd envisioned for asking her out in one second flat.

Suko sighed and waved away the notion. "You're just being jealous because it's Ushijima."

"I am not," he argued, only to be met with a challenging raised eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I am jealous but it's not just because it's him," he rubbed the back of his neck as he took a breath and smiled at her. "Let me take you out on a proper date, Yuri-chan."

Not missing the flicker of disappointment that momentarily broke through her cold façade, Oikawa's mind raced while his heart stood still - waiting for a response.

The pang in Suko's chest hit unexpectedly as she reasoned why he was asking her out in the first place. It couldn't be genuine, if it was he probably would've asked a long time ago, right? It wasn't like Oikawa to not pursue what he wanted – especially when it came to women. The reason this stung on a deeper level she wasn't sure of, but she felt as if she only had one option anyway since he'd probably play it off as a joke the next day and tease her for accepting if she did.

"You just want to beat him at something. You don't like me like that, Tooru."

Oikawa's eyebrows furrowed. "How can you be so certain?"

"How many women are you pursuing right now?" She pointed out, turning down the aisle lined with freezer doors. "You've already mentioned another upcoming date. How would this be any different?"

"Sayuri, I-"

"It's fine, Tooru," she ran a hand through her hair before collecting it and sweeping it over one shoulder as she pulled ahead of him, letting her shaky left hand fidget with the strands out of his sight. "Just forget it. I have no interest in being a pawn in your chess game with Ushijima."

While Oikawa often thought of himself as someone able to talk himself out of just about anything, he was also smart enough to know when to drop the subject and not say anything at all. A knot grew in the pit of his stomach as he noticed only her right hand swaying in time with her step, her left hidden away from him to keep her illusion of strength intact.

What bothered Oikawa more than knowing that this is what she thought of him was the fact that he couldn't blame her. Not one bit. She was right; he wasn't above trying to charm a woman out of Ushijima's clutches just to prove he could. But when it came to _her_ that was a different story. There was a myriad of reasons why Oikawa had never truly pursued her but all ended with the same worry: what if he ruined what they had now?

And that concern now raced through his mind on repeat as he wondered how deeply offended she felt thinking that the sole reason he bothered asking for a date was to one-up his rival.

Pausing in front of the four foot section of the cooler that contained a selection of ice cream, Suko surveyed her options. A small smirk pulled up her lips as she honed in on one kind, picking it out of the dozens of others.

Oikawa took a deep breath to steel his nerves before approaching and resting his elbow on Suko's shoulder, doing his best to act casual. "What flavour do you feel like?"

"Mint chocolate chip," she mused, her gaze flickering over to his to catch his reaction.

Instantly Oikawa's bottom lip jutted out. "Aw, come on Yuri-chan," he pouted. "You know I hate that one."

Suko reached into the freezer and grabbed a carton of his most despised ice cream flavour. "I know," she placed it in the cart. "Just had a sudden craving for it though."

"You're so mean to me," Oikawa sighed.

"You could just get another kind too," Suko pointed out.

"But then we'd have too much."

"Oh no," She rolled her eyes as she kept her voice even and sarcastically replied, "Too much ice cream. Whatever will we do?"

"Die of upset stomachs, most likely," Oikawa pointed out.

"Well, _shitty_ kawa," she chuckled, emphasizing the word as she opened the door again and this time pulled out a small tub of his favourite, chocolate chip cookie dough. "Looks like you're in for a rough night."

"Someone so beautiful shouldn't be so crude, Yuri-chan."

"Screw you then," Suko reached back into the freezer to put away the cookie dough ice cream only to have her wrist gripped by Oikawa.

"I take it back, I take it back!" He laughed, releasing her wrist to take the tub from her hand. "I want the good ice cream."

"Mhmm," she hummed, elbowing his ribs. "Just like I thought."


	8. Chapter 8

After meeting up with Iwaizumi and heading over to Suko's house together, it was obvious to their mutual friend that something was off – he just couldn't figure out what it was and it was going to annoy him until he found out. 

Suko had settled into the left side of the couch before she began to scroll through Netflix and look over her options. Iwaizumi cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go scoop us some of that ice cream." 

"None of that chocolatey toothpaste for me," Oikawa hummed, keeping a suspiciously considerate amount of space between himself and Suko. "The other one. The _good_ one." 

"If you're gonna be picky then come get it your damn self," Iwaizumi quipped as he hopped over the side of the couch and tugged at the back of Oikawa's collar. 

"You're going to ruin my shirt," he complained, getting up from his seat and smoothing out his slightly stretched collar. 

"It's a god damn t-shirt," Suko rolled her eyes, glancing over at the pair. "It'll be fine, and if it's not, you have like," she waved her hand dismissively. "At least twenty others." 

Oikawa sighed for the hundredth time that night when they left the room and Iwaizumi had had enough of it. The moment they approached the kitchen, Iwaizumi lightly shoved his friend through the doorway. "What did you do this time?" 

Oikawa stumbled but quickly caught his footing once again. "What do you mean?" 

"Something's different, I can tell," Iwaizumi crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you say some stupid shit again or what?" 

The setter's eyebrows furrowed and he walked over to the cabinet that housed bowls, opening it up to hide himself away from Iwaizumi's judgemental gaze for even a moment. "She turned me down." 

Iwaizumi let out an obvious sigh as the tension in his shoulders slacked. "That explains it." 

"I can't say I'm surprised," Oikawa forced a smile as he pulled three dishes out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter. "You did warn me, Iwa-chan." 

"What did she say?" 

"Essentially that I was just jealous of Ushiwaka asking her out and she didn't think I actually wanted to take her on a date." 

Iwaizumi sighed as he pulled open the freezer, a burst of cold air making him fight off a shiver. "That bastard asked her on a date after all?” 

“Yeah…” Oikawa nodded. 

“Maybe she’ll kick his ass,” Iwaizumi mused as he pulled out both tubs of ice cream and shut the door with his elbow. “That’d be funny.” 

"Could you imagine her yelling at him?” The setter’s lips curled and he pointed at his friend. "She'd get so mad when he responds like a freaking robot. I'd pay to see that." 

Iwaizumi laughed quietly as he grabbed the ice cream scoop Oikawa had pulled out of a drawer. He scooped a few mint chocolate spoonfuls before glancing back over at the brunette. "So you're gonna move on now that Suko turned you down, right?" 

"You make it sound like I have a choice," a line formed between Oikawa's brows as he spoke. "If I could control my feelings for her I would've stopped years ago." 

"Actually, who am I kidding?" Oikawa let out a sad chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned his back against the counter, his heart squeezing at the notion of even trying to let her go. "Even if I could, I don't think I would want to." 

"I agree that Suko is great, Oikawa. But that doesn't mean you should keep torturing yourself when you know she's not interested." 

"Being in love with her is hardly torture, Iwa-chan," he hummed, folding his arms across his chest as he recalled their conversation earlier. "And I'm still not convinced she doesn't care about me too." 

Iwaizumi frowned, frustrated that Oikawa wouldn't just accept that things between them weren't mutual. "What makes you so sure?" 

"She was hiding something," Oikawa stared down at the tiled kitchen floor beneath his feet as his mind replayed the moment he asked her and the emotion that slipped from behind her apathetic mask. "I know she was..." 

"Maybe she was just trying not to hurt your feelings. Kinda puts her in a tough spot." 

"Do you really think she would've tried to spare my feelings, Iwa?" He glanced over at his friend. "That's not exactly her style when it comes to men...or me."

"Those guys weren't her best friend, though," Iwaizumi pointed out, scooping ice cream into the second bowl. "You're just grasping at straws because you wish it were different." 

"Maybe," Oikawa agreed, trying to think logically rather than emotionally but failing miserably. He knew Iwaizumi was probably right, but the nagging tug at his heart was too much to ignore and if he were being honest with himself – he didn't want to ignore it. "But I'm not willing to give up on her just yet." 

"Oh, come on, Shittykawa!" Iwaizumi groaned, tossing the ice cream scoop at his friend's face and rolling his eyes as Oikawa ducked, narrowly avoiding it as it clattered to the ground. "You're being a fucking idiot." 

"Iwa-chaaaaan," He laughed. "You're being so dramatic today. Are you feeling a little...pent up?" 

"Fuck you," Iwaizumi spat back before pulling open a drawer and grabbing a large spoon to finish dishing out the cold treat now that he forfeited the actual scoop. "You're only making this harder for yourself _and_ for her. If you keep this shit up, you might ruin your friendship." 

"Look," Oikawa propped a hand on his hip as he reached out for the bowl of his favourite sweet treat. "I know you don't believe me, but I know she cares, Iwa. I can see it in her eyes." 

What neither Oikawa nor Iwaizumi noticed was the presence lingering just outside the kitchen, eavesdropping shamelessly on their conversation. After all – it wasn't often that Jin heard anything about Suko's personal life and he was certainly not about to walk away from the rare glimpse he was inadvertently being given right now. 

While it hadn't been a surprise to Jin that Oikawa had feelings for his daughter, it _was_ surprising to hear how deeply those feelings ran. Having only seen playful moments of flirtation over the years, he didn't really consider the possibility of Oikawa having anything more than a schoolgirl crush on Sayuri, and he certainly wouldn't have gone as far as to think that he was in love with her. 

Thinking back on the day he first heard Oikawa talk about his daughter, Jin smiled and shook his head lightly.

It was her first high school track meet and he hadn't been formally introduced to the two volleyball players yet, though he found himself sitting a row behind them in the bleachers. While the two mostly talked about their sport of choice and how they could improve during their next practice, when Suko was up for the two hundred meter sprint and began to line up with her competitors from other schools in their prefecture, their conversation began to focus on her. 

"Oh! There she is!" Oikawa excitedly patted Iwaizumi's arm a few times, only to receive a slight shove in return. 

"Calm down, Shittykawa. I can see, I have eyes you know." 

Oikawa sighed wistfully as he focused on Suko, watching as she stretched her arms and legs before shaking them out and positioning her feet in the starting blocks. "She looks so cute with her hair all pulled back like that." 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes but didn't bother to respond, he knew Oikawa well enough to know he wasn't done. "And look," Oikawa hummed, lifting his finger to point her out. "She doesn’t even seem nervous. She looks so focused." 

"You know just as much as anyone how hard Suko-san has trained," He shrugged. "She doesn't need to be nervous because she's confident in her abilities." 

Jin's ears perked up, his lips curving into a smirk as he realized the two boisterous teens were talking about his daughter. 

The setter smiled. "Don't tell her, but since we started running together in the mornings it's shaved minutes off my personal best." 

"Why wouldn't you want her to know that?" 

"Suko-chan only offered for me to join her because she thought I was slow since I walk at such a leisurely pace," He rubbed the back of his neck as he sheepishly smiled. "If she knew how much I improved she might not let me continue to train with her." 

" _Oh_ ," Iwaizumi smirked. "So you're holding back during your runs with her so she will think you suck and pity you?" 

"Exactly," Oikawa confirmed. 

"You could just ask her to hang out though," Iwaizumi raised his eyebrow. "You know that, right?" 

"Yes," Oikawa raised his finger and pointed it up to accentuate his statement. "But she offered, which means she is choosing to do something nice for me because she cares about me." 

"You're reading into this way too much," Iwaizumi laughed, crossing his arms over his chest as he brought his attention to their friend, noting the aura of intensity she was giving off. "Suko-san just hates how slowly you walk." 

"I do it to annoy her," Oikawa shrugged. "Her angry face is adorable." 

"Pissing her off hardly seems like the way to get her to like you back, dumbass." 

The starter's pistol fired and their conversation lulled as they all watched Suko pull out into an obvious lead within seconds, pride evident in all of their expressions as they watched her sprint with sheer determination propelling her forward. Over almost as quickly as it began, Suko crossed the finish line in first place, her time read aloud by a commentator as an impressive twenty-three point nine seconds. 

With her hands placed on her hips and a heaving chest, Suko surveyed the audience and after a moment, her eyes caught sight of Oikawa's proud smile. Noticing he had her attention, Oikawa stuck up his hand and waved to her before he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Great job, Suko-chan!" 

The small curve of her lips in return was thanks enough for Oikawa and he sighed happily as she turned away to join her team. "Annoying her turned out to be the most effective way of keeping her attention, Iwa-chan." 

"You're an idiot." 

"Yep," Oikawa chuckled, running a hand through his soft brown hair. "But if it means Suko-chan is thinking about me too, then it's worth it." 

\- 

When Jin had met his daughter's friends a few weeks later, he instantly recognized the two of them and in turn, that made him much more prickly towards Oikawa than Iwaizumi. Knowing that the setter had a crush on Sayuri had him holding Oikawa to a higher standard that he never felt he met and throughout the years, hearing about his escapades with other girls only led the father to believe that he was merely a playboy with no genuine interest in her. So naturally, overhearing this conversation taking place in his kitchen right now, Jin was quite taken aback. 

"I cAn SeE iT iN hEr EyEs," Iwaizumi mocked before shaking his head with a quiet laugh. "You're delusional. If it was gonna happen, it would've happened already." 

"I'm not delusional, Iwa-chan," Oikawa smiled as he took his bowl as well as one for Suko. "I'm _romantic_." 

The male turned away to walk out of the kitchen only to have Iwaizumi call out to him after a few steps forward, the sound of a drawer opening and metal softly clanging together accompanying his voice. "Not going to get very far without spoons, Mr. Romantic." 

While he doubled back to get the utensils, Jin casually strolled into the room and approached the fridge, opening it up to grab a beer out of the compartment in the door. His eyes flickered over to Oikawa and the friendly smile that accompanied his polite 'hello' was enough to prompt a response that neither he nor Iwaizumi could have anticipated. 

"Oikawa, I don't particularly like you," he started, and Oikawa's face paled at his bluntness while Iwaizumi immediately snickered. "But I'm going to give you some advice." 

"Uh," Oikawa glanced down at the bowls in his hand before sheepishly shrugging. Jin had never offered any words of wisdom to him before and with this sudden offering, he concluded their conversation wasn't as private as they'd thought. Nevertheless, Oikawa was certainly in no position to refuse life advice and so he complied. "Alright, Jin-san. Let's hear it." 

Jin twisted the cap off of the cold bottle in his hands as he tapped the refrigerator door with his foot to close it. "You're a fool if you think Sayuri is stupid enough to pursue someone so obviously unavailable." 

An unmistakable grin spread across Oikawa's face as he found a hidden meaning in Jin's unexpected act of kindness. "And you said you don't like me," he chuckled. 

"I don't." 

"You wouldn't be giving me advice on how to woo your daughter if you didn't, Jin-san," Oikawa teased before letting his playful smile fade into one more sincere. "I'll think about what you said. Thank you." 

"Ugh," Jin turned to Iwaizumi as he took a quick swig of his beer. "Why did I even bother?" 

"You're never going to live this down," Iwaizumi shrugged, grabbing his bowl from the counter and impaling a scoop of ice cream with his spoon. "He's going to cling to this moment forever and make you regret ever trying to help." 

"I already do," Jin rolled his eyes and grumbled a few curses under his breath before slipping past them and leaving to return to the living room while they filed out behind him and trekked back to the basement. 

Placing a bowl in Suko's hands as he took the seat next to her, she glanced over at him. "Thought I was going to die of old age down here waiting for you two." 

"Oh shut it and eat your damn ice cream, you ingrate," Iwaizumi retorted, flopping down into the loveseat perpendicular to them and propping his feet up onto one armrest while balancing his bowl on his chest. 

"Alright sassypants, sheesh," Suko laughed, eyeing how comfortable Iwaizumi looked. "Hey Iwa, trade spots with me." 

"Pft, no way." 

"Aww, Yuri-chaaaaan," Oikawa whined, tilted his head to rest on her shoulder. "Don't leave me with him." 

"But that looks so comfy," she sighed. 

"Oh, that's all?" He laughed as he pulled his head up and scooched over to the other side of the couch, patting his lap. "Swing those feet up here then and lay back. I don't mind." 

Not bothering to confirm his offer, Suko quickly rearranged herself on the couch and slipped her feet into Oikawa's lap to get more comfortable before reaching over and pressing play to start the movie she chose. 

Oikawa laughed along at the appropriate parts of the movie, glancing over at Suko periodically to admire her smile as the colourful light shining from the TV danced across her features. His thoughts, however, were mostly occupied by the words Jin had gifted him and how they actually applied to his situation. 

_Obviously unavailable_... he mulled over the phrase. _But I've been single for quite some time now...._

Oikawa's eyes widened as something from Suko's response to his request clicked. ' _How many women are you pursuing right now?'_

Did she really see him as unavailable? He hadn't been serious with anyone for just over half a year because he realized - well, all of his previous girlfriend's realized – that he was too hung up on Suko to actually be in a successful relationship with another woman. He merely dated around to pass the time and have a bit of fun but now, this thought begged the question - _was that enough to convince her that he wasn't an option?_

_...and did she even ever consider him an option in the first place?_


End file.
